How to Structure Your Essay Argument

Nobody likes to be in an argument, and nobody likes to write an essay argument, either! Students have a tough time deciding how to go about thee certain types of essays, and for good reason – they can be pretty complicated and involved. Approaching one can be fairly simple, however, if you know where to start. Argumentative essays – as with any essay – should always begin with an outline. Write up a bulleted list or compose an essay map to display your outline. The structure of the essay should run similar to any essay assignments. There should be an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction proposes your thesis or arguments; the body defends this argument with carefully uncovered evidence, and the conclusion wraps up your findings in a neat, simple fashion. The biggest feat students must overcome is this: how do you go about structuring the argument itself?

An essay argument should follow a pretty clear-cut easy to follow path. First of all, you must introduce the issue within the argument. What is the essay focusing on? Is it your position on women in the military, the effectiveness of home schooling, etc.? Your first task is to make sure the audience (your reader) understands the purpose behind your essay. Once this is established, you can choose your stance. The introduction also service to showcase the position you will be taking on the argument.

Once this background is established, it’s time to branch in to the support gained for your position. Why do you defend this side of the argument, and not the other? Explain, through the use of evidence and detail, the major points of your argument. The outline should also help you with this. It is most important, at this stage, that you make sure to section your ideas and points appropriately. For example, you may argue that home schooling is better for children because is caters more to the child’s specific learning pace. Another reason may be that home schooling fosters a closer relationship between parent and child. These are, however, to separate pieces of your argument and should be treated as such – divided by separate paragraphs and supported by individual evidence.

After outlining the various, evidence-supported reasons for your position, it’s time to wrap up in your conclusion. The conclusion is not simply a restating of the introduction; it is your chance to wrap up with some meaningful insight into the topic you’ve previously discussed, Briefly summarize your findings and come to a thoughtful conclusion that readers can easily take away from your essay. This is the basic structure of an essay argument, and if you follow it, you’ll produce and incredible essay every single time you write.